Building comparison
head to head
Doom (1993)vsQuake
Neither is simply harder - they are hard in different places. Doom (1993) demands more variance; Quake demands more reads.
Doom (1993)
Execution · Pure Mechanics
A test of fast, precise shooting and map navigation against scripted but relentless enemies.
Quake
Execution · Pure Mechanics
The original twitch FPS - movement tech and rockets define skill.
Doom (1993) leans Execution (Pure Mechanics); Quake leans Execution (Pure Mechanics).
Doom (1993)Quake
Axis by axis
Execution8 vs 9
Quake leans a little harder on execution, though the gap is small.
Doom (1993)
Precise movement and shooting against relentless enemy pressure
Quake
Rocket aim and movement tech ceiling massive.
Reads0 vs 3
Quake leans clearly harder on reads.
Doom (1993)
Enemies follow scripted patrol and attack patterns, not adaptive
Quake
PvP duels involve real opponent modeling.
Variance3 vs 1
Doom (1993) leans clearly harder on variance.
Doom (1993)
Enemy placement is fixed but unknown on first run through levels
Quake
Item timing deterministic once learned.
Optimization5 vs 4
Doom (1993) leans a little harder on optimization, though the gap is small.
Doom (1993)
Level routing and resource management determine survival efficiency
Quake
Map control and item routes solvable.
A matching score does not mean a matching test. Two games can both sit at 10 on execution and demand completely different things of you - which is why the reasoning above matters more than the number beside it.